Local Minority Political Leaders Unite To Fight Back Sweeping Propositions
Propositions 15, 16, 21 and 22 were the focus of this Asian Industry B2B (AIB2B) and Lincoln Club event.
Proposition 16, the focus of AIB2B’s efforts, was first up. Marc Ang, President of AIB2B also serves as the Director of Outreach of California For Equal Rights (CFER), the official 2020 No on Prop 16 group, led by former UC Regent and Civil Rights activist Ward Connerly. CFER was featured last week on the national cable Fox News through Tucker Carlson‘s show. Joy Chen, Board Director of AIB2B also serves as the Director at Large, and spoke on her pioneering efforts in attracting young social media influencers. Betty Tom Chu, former Mayor of Monterey Park and founder of East West Bank, serves as the Co-Chair of CFER and gave the audience an inside look on lawsuits behind the scenes around the ballot language. Marc Ang finally spoke of communities to get behind the fight against affirmative action, including in the Filipino community.
This event was special in that AIB2B solidified support, partnership and bridged the gap between two camps both working on No on 16. Former California State Senate Minority Leader Bob Huff and his wife, Mei Mei Huff, a Chinese community leader in her own right, were in attendance to speak and show support and unity in the fight. Bob and Mei Mei were pioneers in the fight against SCA5 in 2014 during the time Bob was in office, when Bob took a hard stand against affirmative action and through his leadership, worked with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stop discriminatory practices in college admissions. ACA5, put up on the ballot as Prop 16, seeks to repeat the once-settled issue, and take it steps further into all public and charter school education and promotion and hiring in the public sector. Prop 16 seeks to modify the California Constitution by removing a non-discrimination clause when it comes to college admissions and hiring and promotions in the public sector. This affects any government job, University of California and Cal State Universities. It would repeal Prop 209, instituted in 1996, to bar discrimination of any kind during the selection process.
On August 8 in Arcadia, CFER threw a rally that drew in hundreds of attendees and almost 300 cars. Cars gathered in unity to protest the discrimination that would result from Prop 16 and the repeal of Prop 209. Another rally is scheduled on August 22 at 10:30 am at Irvine City Hall.
The event continued with Bob Huff speaking on Props 15 and 21, and the ramifications of these propositions on business owners and landlords. Proposition 15 would remove a cap on commercial property taxes, through a split roll. Proposition 21 will institute rent control and Bob spoke of how the unintended consequences are that landlords would raise the rents of many to meet the new ceiling. This issue had also been settled as No on Proposition 10 just a few years ago, but is back on the ballot.
Finally, SJ Antonucci, a pioneer in the fight against AB5, a sweeping legislation instituted in the beginning of the year, which eliminated jobs due to rigid classifications of employees and independent contractors, spoke on her fight for Yes on 22, which will be the first step in undoing the legislation. Yes on 22 would provide exemptions for Uber and Lyft drivers. However, we were reminded by SJ of the part time gigging musicians or stay at home mothers who work as bloggers, translators and part time workers, who need the flexibility to not be classified as an employee. Former city councilman of Arcadia, Peter Amundson, who runs a refrigerated logistics business, Minuteman Transport, also spoke on his leadership with the California Trucking Association and an exemption granted for his industry around AB5.
Event host Barbara Kerr of the Lincoln Club and owner of the venue spoke of discriminatory issues from a recent California State University in Fullerton President’s statement, which stoked divisions and was not becoming of the conduct of a University president. Barbara called for more accountability from our institutional leaders.
Finally, Senator Ling Ling Chang‘s staff gave a legislative update on legislation surrounding COVID-19 and tools for business owners hit hardest by crisis to access.
